Mystery Science Theater 3000 experiment #208: Lost Continent.
Original Comedy Channel airdate: November 24, 1990.
Available on the eighteenth MST3K DVD collection from Shout! Factory.
Rock climbing.
Cesar Romero, Hugh Beaumont, Sid Melton and Acquanetta star in this 1951 film about an expedition to find a missing atomic rocket. The expedition's flight crashes on a remote island with a big old mountain where a lone native girl indicates that something unusual landed there. After twenty straight minutes of ROCK CLIMBING, the top of the mountain is reached, where a lush jungle inhabited by dinosaurs is found. Two out of the six explorers die, but the survivors salvage crucial rocket parts and escape (thankfully the trip down the mountain isn't depicted in such excruciating detail) before a volcanic eruption destroys the island, dinosaurs and all. The highlight? Hugh Beaumont cracking up in the background while Cesar Romero hauls Sid Melton onto a plateau by the seat of his pants.
The show opens with Joel in a cyan jumpsuit as a tough football coach giving his robots a lively pep talk. Beat 'em, beat 'em, beat 'em! In Deep 13, Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank introduce their exercise treadmill on wheels (which Frank immediately runs into the nearest wall), but sadly, we don't have time for Joel's invention this week. Joel's gadget, a translator that converts language into sign language, would appear again in the next episode (The Hellcats). Hugh Beaumont, having become a Horseman of the Apocalypse, stops by the satellite with his scary, but friendly message of death. Joel and the 'Bots perform their version of Quinn Martin's The Explorers which turns from adventure program to police drama just in time for the epilogue. Later, the gang witnesses "The Cool Thing"* out in space, and they encourage their viewers to send in their ideas of what exactly it is for a contest, and why it's cool. After the film, Joel and his robots recite little known facts about the film, including the knowledge that Cesar Romero may have had ties to the Nazis.
A great episode from season 2, although Shout! Factory's DVD transfer is less than stellar due to the condition of the master tapes they were given. Just make like you're watching someone's second or third generation VHS dubbed tape and enjoy. Highly recommended episode.
...rock climbing.
* The "Cool Thing" was later revealed to be Mexican stoplight candy in a third season episode, although the show did show some viewer submitted pictures at the end of season two. Okay? Fifteen minute break, everyone!
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